It is often the case that toilet seats or lids are left in the open or “up” position. It might be that the previous user forgets to return the seat and lid to the closed or “down” position, they are in a hurry or do not wish to handle the toilet seat or lid, particularly if the toilet is a public toilet.
There are many reasons as to why individuals would prefer to have the toilet seat and lid kept in a closed position after use. When the lid is in a closed position, it prevents objects from falling into the toilet and is therefore more hygienic. For some individuals having the toilet seat and cover in a closed position is aesthetically appealing.
In addition to hygiene and appeal, it is a matter of convenience where a male and female are living in the same household and the male inadvertently fails to return the seat to a down position. However, the issue can become more serious where the household is shared with individuals with chronic or acute disabilities or physical limitations and require the toilet seat to be in the usable position.
In addition, it is preferable for parents of younger children and owners of household pets to keep the cover of a toilet seat down to prevent the children or pets from accessing or consuming the toilet water.
Currently the prior art provides for the use of an audible Sound when the: toilet seat has been raised and which continues to persist until the seat is lowered. Such a Solution creates an annoyance to the toilet user in addition to the annoyance caused to other individuals in a household particularly where the toilet is used frequently or during late hours.
The prior art also provides for devices requiring manual intervention by a user after their usage of the toilet which therefore does not alleviate the problem where the toilet seat and cover are left in an open position inadvertently. Further, these require the user to take an additional step, for example, of stepping onto a pedal link to a lever device or providing sufficient movement to activate sensors which are actions which must be remembered to be performed or require additional strength and energy than simply closing the toilet without such apparatuses.
In addition, the prior art lacks in the ability to allow for the dual ability to return the seat to the down position and to close the lid on a toilet.
It is therefore an object of the invention to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art or to at least provide an effective alternative to the limited effectiveness of the prior art.